Choosing the perfect materials for tile backing is important since our bathrooms and showers are continuously exposed to water. Green board and hardibacker are the top two popular drywalls among household owners.
But we often feel confused about choosing between green board or hardibacker. Since both have their distinctive functionality, you can use them both for their particular purposes.
Let’s learn more about these high-quality drywalls.
A Quick Comparison Table
Can’t wait to learn precise details? Check out this comparison table if you want a brief idea about both drywalls.
| Specifications | Green Board | Hardibacker |
| Materials | Gypsum core and a paper exterior | Cement and sand |
| Water endurance | Water-resistant | Water-proof |
| Ideal usage | Ceilings and walls | Shower or tub enclosure |
| Durability | Decent durability | Highly durable |
| Price | Affordable price | High price |
| Installation | Easy to install | Slightly difficult to install |
| Cutting ability | Simple to cut | Hard to cut |
Primary Differences Between Green Board And Hardibacker
So, you have already got a brief overview of both drywalls, but this may not be enough to choose the right option or both options. Learning their important details from different perspectives can help you to decide better.
- Materials
Green boards are generally made of Gypsum core, which is lightweight and increased strength.
They have inherent fire resistance properties too. Plus, they have layers of paper on the outer surface.
On the other hand, a hardibacker is made of several materials such as cement, sand, concrete, and other things in small proportions.
They are highly resistant to damage and ensure outstanding tile adhesion. Hardibacker is vastly different than Wonderboard in this regard as well!
- Water Endurance
Green boards are water-resistant, while a hardibacker is water-proof. You can use green boards for areas where a lot of moisture can reach due to high humidity levels.
But they are not suitable for wet environments where water may directly contact them.
On the contrary, hardibacker is ideal for wet environments where water can contact directly. This won’t cause any harm even after the longest exposure. After all, they are built to last.
- Ideal Usage
Our bathrooms have different distinctive areas where we need to use different things. Hardibacker for bathrooms is ideal for using shower walls, floors, and shower or tub enclosures since these areas constantly contact water.
It is incredibly resistant to the growth of mildew and mold.
On the contrary, a green board is ideal for installing bathroom ceilings and far away from walls that are not prone to contact with water directly. Since they have organic papers on the outer surface, direct water contact will result in mold and mildew.
This video perfectly explains exactly when to use green board.
- Durability
Since a hardibacker is made of tough materials like cement, it is more durable and hard than a green board. It has increased strength to handle the constant water contact. Otherwise, the quality would deteriorate over time.
But still, both drywalls can last a decent period without showing weary signs too soon. Plus, they merely require any maintenance.
- Price
Since the materials used to make hardibacker are expensive and high-quality, its price is also higher. Plus, manufacturers follow a more complicated process and heavy machines to craft hardibacker. This increases the overall price of this drywall.
On the other hand, green boards are made of mainly from Gypsum core. Manufacturers don’t need to use various materials and complicated processes to make them. This makes them affordable.
- Installation
Installation is an important factor to check out when you want to install drywall in your bathroom. You prefer doing it swiftly and handily.
Though you will follow almost a similar approach to installing both drywalls, they are not the same in all aspects.
Compared to hardibacker, a green board for bathrooms is easier to install because they are lightweight, and their surface is not highly thick.
Hence, you can easily carry green boards in our bathroom from one spot to another. This makes the installation procedure simple.
But installing a hardibacker requires you to be extra careful since they are heavy. You may end up falling them on the bathroom floor.
- Cutting Ability
Though you have several sizing options to choose from while ordering a green board or hardibacker, you may still need to cut them to get the perfect shape.
Since hardibacker is pretty thick and hard, it takes some elbow grease to cut it. You may need a professional to cut them when you don’t own the necessary tools.
In comparison, a green board surface is lightweight and can be easily cut with minimal effort. You just need the right tool to cut it perfectly.
Which One Stands Out For Your Bathrooms?
Here comes the most important part! No doubt, both drywalls have excellent quality, and that’s why you will often see many households install both items in their respective places.
You can consider installing a green board for the bathroom ceilings and far away from walls where moisture may directly contact.
On the contrary, use a hardibacker for the direct water contacts areas such as shower or tub enclosure and bathroom walls.
Some people may prefer to install a hardibacker in all bathroom areas. But this increases the overall cost, and they are time-consuming to install.
Instead, you can consider using both drywalls combinedly in their respective places. This will make the installation process quicker and save some money. More importantly, you are utilizing the best materials for the best place.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Green board is lightweight and simple to install like typical drywalls, while Hardie board is heavier and thicker than green board and slightly complicated to install. More time and effort will be required to install a Hardie board than a green board.
A Green board is mainly suitable for higher moisture and high-humidity areas, while a cement board is ideal for highly wet areas, such as shower walls and enclosures. Using only a green board won’t be enough to prevent moisture growth unless you add mold-resisting agents.
Compared to cement boards, Hardibacker is better because they are more lightweight and cleaner due to no inclusion of glass. More importantly, smoothly finishing the job with minimal mess won’t be a problem at all.
You can use a green board in a shower where water won’t directly expose it. Installing them on noncontinuous high humidity areas won’t cause any problem. But you can’t use them on tub/shower surrounding areas.
You can use green boards for the damp condition areas and cement boards for the wet areas. Using both of them together in different respective areas will cut down the installation cost and make it more convenient.
Final Thought
There should not be any confusion to choose between green board or hardibacker since they are made for different purposes. But knowing their differences can help you pick suitable options based on the requirement.
Your time, money, and effort will be saved for not choosing the wrong drywall.
If you are newly setting up your bathroom, consider using both drywall options as they will effectively provide long-lasting and quality service for an extended time.
Hopefully, this article has helped you to know when to use a green board or hardibacker for a particular purpose.